Lumber is increasingly being sold in self-service lumber or hardware stores. Typically, the lumber has been pre-sized and cut into standard lengths. Thus, UPC-type bar codes may be secured onto the ends of these lengths in order to permit fast and accurate checkout at cashiers' stands.
Typically, hundreds of stacked lumber pieces can be arranged in tightly packed rows and columns. A UPC bar-coded tag may be secured to one end of each of these pieces. Thus, it was desirable to manufacture a device which would enable persons to affix to lumber a large number of tags in a relatively short period of time.
One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,896 (hereinafter the "'896 patent"), issued to Reitmeier et al. on May 14, 1991, and entitled "Staple Gun For Attaching Labels." The '896 patent discloses a device which has a body for engaging labels. This body is shiftably movable between the extremities of a straight, elongated, longitudinal slot. The labels being moved by this body approach the bottom of the slot in a vertical orientation. At a point beyond the bottom of this longitudinal slot, the labels must make a rapid and sharp transition to a horizontal orientation. This transition is aided by a relatively small radius bend, as shown in the lower left corner of FIG. 3 of the '896 patent. It is estimated that the radius of this bend is no more than 0.75 inches. As a result of this relatively sharp transition, there is an increased possibility that labels may jam in this transition area while they are being fed towards the stapler head.
An insert is carried by this body and engages the labels. As described in column 5, lines 9-20, and as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 of the '896 patent, this insert is also movable, and shifts away from the strip of labels when the label-engaging body shifts from its second position to its first position.
The device disclosed in the '896 patent apparently did not provide for the feeding of labels or tags of varying lengths. In fact, it is known by the inventor of the present invention that separate commercial versions of this device are manufactured to accommodate labels having differing lengths.